Starting device for internal-combustion engines



March 15, 1927. 1,620,998

v. R. CLARK STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Ju ly16, 1926 1 F 7 I 12 242F412? 7.

. maximum of efficiency, 1 r

Patented Mar. 15:, 1927.-

- V IT D STAT S vrner'nnl CLARK, or PHILADELBYHIA}PENNSYLVANIA,

STARTING nnvron non mrnn vancoivrnus'rron}nivenvns; 7

Application filed. Ju1y 16,

The object ofvlthe invention is tovprovide improvements in apparatus forimparting a rotary motion to shafts, and particularly in devices adaptedfor starting internal come bustionengines such as are used in marinelaunches, wherein there is generally no selfstarter, and the highcompression. and inertia of movable parts *While stationary makes itvery diflicultfto rotate the shaft manually, a I 1 J Another object isto provide a construction of a device of this character, which will notrequire an undue amount: of space, isrelatively simple and inexpensiveto manufacture, and which will operate with a A further object isto pro'de an: auxil-. iary shaft adapted to" be operatively: connected to anddisconnected at Will from-the crank shaft ofan engine; to provide meansto impart a rotary motion to this. auxiliary. shaft intermittently inone "direction; to

provide, means to restrain said sh'aft'against reverse motion as long asdesired; to pro? vide resilient meansadapted to be, tensioned bysaid'first means; and; to provide meanssto release said sh'aft'so thatsaid resilient means will rotate said shaft in the oppositedirec tionand thereby rotate, or turn over,the.

crank-shaft of such asian internal combustion fengine. I'

l/Vith these and other objects in mind, thepresent invention comprisesstill further novel details of construction and operation asarehereinafter fully brought out in the following description, NVhBIlread in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is aside elevation of one embodiment of the invention partly in section;Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end elevatlon of asection of'the same, taken onthe; line 2 -2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is another sectlonal' I detail of thesame, taken on the line 3-3:

of Fig. "1; and Fig. 4 is a detail section on the line of Fig. 1. I

Referring to 'theidravvings, only a 'frags mental-y portion 5 is shownof the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, or "similar piece ofmechanism, sa d shaft being provided with one or morepins 6,or othersuitable means for engaging the same at will. The end portion of thisshaft is adapted to be'surrounded by and received within a socket 7,provided witha curved bayonet slot or groove 8, into which the pin orpins 6 extend in order to couple said 192s.- Serial No.-122,885.

shaftrand said socket together-for the pur pose hereinafter' described.Jv Y J The present starting device it is to :be understood is designedvto be positioned Within a ship, launch, or boat of anyrsort,

or for that matter to be operatively posiit Whether or not it isafloat-oronland. :H'Consequently, thestandards9. and lO'are to betlOIlBdjWlth respect to a device havinganfi t element to be given arotating impetusyw. 1

"considered as being fixed to and (supported:

by anysuitable base 11,- from Whiohtheyrise in spaced parallel relation.Thru these, standardsare journaled independent, aligned,

relatively, movable shafts 12 and'12 to one 'end of thelatter-of-Whichis secured inlongitudinally slidable, but rotatably fixed, relation ahead 13, Which in turn is an integral part or extension of the socket 7.The said head may be attached, to, said shaft 12 in: 1

any suitable manner, but foripurposes ofillustration this. connection isshown "as comprising a longitudinal; slot 14in which I a'pin 15 islongitudinally fislidable, While if desired an expansion spring (notshown) may be positioned Within the head 13 in engaged relation ithrespect to the shaftb.

so] i Surrounding the shaft 12 is a coil, or I similar, spring 16,onefend of which is secured to a ratchet. 17 keyedto the said last-n amed shaft and engaged by; a spring-l pressed pavvl-18, mounted upon theinner rupright surface of the-standard 9, touper-r mit rotation in onedirection, but to prevent its unintentional rotation in the oppositedishoulder or the like uponlthe supportingv shaft, while'the teeth ofsaidpinion mesh l with the teeth of a rack-'21, secured'to a manuallyactuatable lever 22,- oscillatably supportedby meansfof a pivot 23,carried by the lower portion of the standard 9.

NVhile the shafts 12 and 12 may be roifoii tatably associated'in anysuitable mannenthe i present embodiment of the invention shows the shaft12*" as receiving the adjacent endof the shaft 12, hile'the surroundingpor-;-

tion of the former is enlarged and provided with teeth to comprise aratchet "24, nor- 3 mally engagedlby a spring-pressed pawl 25,

mounted upon the inner upright surface of the standard 10. Saidlast-named standard indirect is also provided with a lug or shoulder 26,to which pivo'tally secured a bell-crank lever 27, one end of said leverbeing connected to said pawl by means of a link 28, and the opposite endofsaid' lever'being connected by means of a link 29 toa pedal, ormanually actuatable lever 30, pivotally supported by and in any suitablemeans 31 and provided with a strap or the like 32, which surrounds-andengages teeth: 33 carried: by. a standard 34, Which. is'fixedly' mountedin any suitable manner with: respect to the shaft 3 standard 9",hereinbefore described. It will also be: noticect that the lever 30'and; its: supr port31g; While pivotally connected to afford relativeoscillation, are so connected as ,to. provide: for a slight longitudinalmovement of the; former With\ respect to the latter, in order to: permitthe: strap 32 toengage the teeth: 33: of'the standard by reason of thein fluence of: its connection with the springpressect paivl25, and yetto permit saida strap to be instantly released from engagement Witllsaid teeth as this becomes necessary.

In the operation ofthe device, the head? is madeito engage the pin 6 ofthe shaft 5, and the: lever 22 is manually oscillated:- to andl fro,thus oscillating; the pinion. 1 9, With the result that during eaclrforward movement of saith lever the spring: 16 is wound tighter and:tighter upon the shaft 12', by the cooperation of the respective ratchetand pawlsi 1v71'8: and 2%25. Fi-

nally, after thespring; 16' has become suet ciently 't'ensioned ,thepedal 30 is actuated. either by ones. foot or hand so as to disengagethe rack, 33-, and; upon being. pulled forward; effects a disengagementof thepawl: 25 from the ratchet Wheel 24, thus releasing the shaft 1'2adijacent to the standard 10 and-i permitting. the spring; to;indirectly rotate the head 7. and shaft 5. In; the case of starting an.integral combustion engine,

before the. ratchet 2r. is released, the throttle and ignition sparkare, of course, set, so that'merely' releasing the stored energy of thespring. 16'v operatesto completely start the normal operation andrunning of the engine: In, any case, upon resetting the lever 305011111313 the: paevl 25; engages the ratchet 24, the starting; device:asa. unit is adapted to be again operated as abovev described, Whem and;as soon as it becomes necessary to restartthe engine; or othermechanism.

Havingthus described my invention, What I claim and desire to protect byLettersPatentof the United: States, is

1. lhe combination of a rotatable shaft, a head rotatably attached by ajournalled connection to said shaft and: adapted to engage the shaf-t ofan internal combustion.

engine,- a ratchet and pawlconnected to said to rotate said shaft andtension said spring while the: pawls: engagethe respective ratchets. s

2. The combination of, a rotatable shaft, 9.; headrotatably attached byajournalled con nection to said shaft and adapted to'engage the shaft ofan internal combustion engine,

a ratchet andtpa-Wl' connected to said head-,, a ratchet and pawlconnected to said: Shaft,

a coil spring extending; between and. connected to said shaft and saidhead, a pinion also carried by said shaft, a. pawl connected; to preventrelative rotation between said; pinion and. said: shaft in:. onedirection and? an oscillatable, rack pivotally supported; and;co-operating with said pinion torotate said; shaft and tension said,spring While the paWls engage the. respective ratchets, means toreleasezsaid firstv pawvL from its co-oper ating; ratchet, to permitthespring, to rotatesha-ft 'disengageably con-- said head and a nectedthereto.- v o 3.-The:. combination of a shaft, a; coil springsurroundingsaid shaft, andadapted to be. tensioned, a member rotatablyassociated Withsaid shaft, aratchet carried by said member, a,spring-pressed: pawl 1f10rmally cor-operating Withsaidratchet, a;fireedly posltionedi rack',: and means: ei'igagmgl said: rack andconnected to: said pawhwvhere:

by actuation of said; means releases said pawl and permits said springwhen ten: sioned. to rotate said-member with respect to said. shaft. g

4. The combination: of a shaft, a coil spring. surrounding said shaftand adapted.

to be tensioned; a head rotatably, associated- With said: shaft,faratchet carried by said head, a pawl operativeto normally preventrotation of said ratchet in one direction, a bell crank leveroscillatably mounted upon a pivot, a: manually actuated'lever, meansconnecting said first; lever bot-h to saidlp'awl and to said last-namedlever, and, a relae tivelyfixed: rack: engageable by, and operative totemporarily position. said, lastnamed: lever so as to WltllllOlClsaidpawl from; engagement with said ratchet, to permit said; spring:when under tension to rotatesaidihead.-

In testimony whereof I hereby a-fliX-I my signature;

VJIRG-IL. n. omen.

